The grass below me felt soft against my fingers. The sun shined bright above me, warming my face. A smile spread over my lips, I felt pleasant, as if I could fall into a dream and never wake. My blond hair stretched across the grass and dirt, my mother was going to have a fit if she ever saw me like this. Though with my eyes closed, I imagined slipping away into a distant world, a world where I didn't have to worry about how I dressed or if I got a scrape on my knee. A world where I was free. A world where I could do what I want and not worry about the consequences.

"Aurora!" I heard my mother yell in the distance. My eyes drifted open, the pleasant feeling I had evaporated and I was left with a sense of annoyance. How on earth could I hear her from this distance? She was a good kilometer away.

"Aurora Whitmore, you get home this instant." She yelled. I knew that the whole kingdom had heard her demands.

My eyes automatically rolled as I picked myself up and brushed off as much dirt as I possibly could from my dress. Though it wouldn't do me any good, my mother could pick out a tiny speck of dust on a table that had just been cleaned. She was a bit extreme when it came to being proper.

I walked out of the clearing and into the forest. Sunlight sprinkled in through the leaves above, keeping my path bright and open. The forest felt like an old friend, like someone who had stuck by me for years. I cut through the trees, placing my hand on each of the trees I passed by, feeling their rough bark underneath my hands.

The birds sang above me, their voices came together in perfect harmony. As if they knew this song would distract me from the oncoming confrontation from my mother.

The path was short, though it felt longer. The dread of returning to my home devoured my emotions. I didn't want to go back there, to the real world. I wanted to stay here in my make believe one.

The small village of Blankington loomed in the distance as I stepped out of the woods and into a field of wheat that stretched out over the forest's edge. Our village was the main provider of wheat and pastries to the kingdom of Lightwood. Though despite the name our kingdom wasn't very light. Our leaders had slaughtered millions in creating this peaceful land we now know. I hated it. The thought of people dying just so we could have more land sickened me.

The wheat field had turned into short grass and a gravel path that led to the village.

"Hello Miss Aurora." Said Mr. Woodard, the farmer that I had known since I was a child. His hair was beginning to thin and the green eyes that had once been full of life had grown tired and old. Mr. Woodard was sitting by the field he kept so neatly on a rock that had been there for as long as I could remember.

"Why hello Mr. Woodard. A fine day, isn't it?" I said walking towards the man.

"It is. I heard that your mother is looking for you."Mr. Woodard said as I sat beside him.

"Yes, I do believe she is. How did you know?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Everyone knew, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole country knew." He chuckled, staring out at the golden strips of wheat he had spent so long caring for.

"Well, if she could be heard that far, I must be getting back to her." I smiled at him and stood, feeling the dread return.

"Don't let your mother be too hard on you." Mr. Woodard said, giving me a small smile. I returned it and left. Our town wasn't too far from the fields. It was small, the population almost two hundred. Everyone knew everyone, if there was just a shred of gossip everyone in town would know it. Even the people who live on the outskirts, like me.

I stepped into the town square, people around me bustled towards the market. It was Thursday and this was the only day the village people could get the necessities for the week, so it was only natural that everyone would be there.

"Aurora!" My mother called from the small crowd of people. I braced myself for my mothers commentary and disapproval.

"Yes mother?" I asked, walking towards her. Though we weren't rich, my mother still loved to buy dresses and jewelry to doll me up with.

"What in the world have you done to your dress?" She questioned, twirling me around to inspect my dress further.

"I was laying on the ground and-"

"Laying on the ground! A lady doesn't lay on the ground, she sits neatly in a chair, not on the ground. With all the dirt and bugs. I don't know how you do it." My mother interrupted. From the time I could talk, she coached me on how to be a lady. I however ignored her and took my own advice on life.

"Mother-"

"Shhh." She interrupted again and placed her hand over my mouth to make her words true. "That is behind us. Now we must prepare."

My mother grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the market. People pushed past us, some stopping to apologize and some, when seeing it was my mother, turned back around and almost ran away. It's not that she wasn't popular, people just seemed to think of her as the crazy gossip of the town.

"Mother, what are we preparing for?" I asked, her grip was strong on my arm, I felt that a bruise would surely bloom when her hand left my skin.

"We are preparing for something big!" She squealed as if she were a child. There's the crazy everyone in town was talking about.

"But what is it?" I pressed, hoping for some answers. Though sometimes my mother could be a bit scriptic.

"A ball in a week..." She paused, searching my eyes for some excitement. "At the palace."

I felt nauseous at her words, never in my life would I ever go to the palace, it was most likely a ball for the royal families achievements. Everything they did shouldn't be classified as an achievement, they should be called an atrocity.

"Sweetheart, this is good." My mother said, trying to make me see the light in this situation that I didn't want to be in.

"How on earth is this good mother. I don't want to go to a stupid party." I said, attempting to loosen her tightening grip on me.

"But Aurora, this is your chance to marry the prince!" My mother exclaimed. "Can't you imagine it! Servants at your beck and call, golden plates of exotic foods, every dress you could ever imagine. It is perfect."

"Mother I want absolutely nothing to do with the Prince." I practically shouted.

Damian Redburn was nothing but an arrogant, selfish, spoiled brat that could kill anyone with the flick of his wrist. I would never in a million lifetimes wish to marry him. My mother knew this, though she continued to pester me about it.

"Aurora, dear. One of these days you are going to wake up and find out you're a woman, and women have responsibilities. We must marry and I intend to get you married to the best man, which is the prince." She stated and I felt my irritation bubble.

A woman's soul purpose in life should never just be to marry. We should be the ones ruling, not standing by a man's side.

"Mother, I can't get married. I'm only nineteen, I still have my whole life ahead of me. And if I did get married, it wouldn't be to Prince Damian Redburn." I stated. Though if I couldn't be my own person, then I would never get married.

"You don't mean that dear." Mother said, taking my statement as if it were a meer joke. She continued down the aisle of shopping carts, stopping to look at different jewels and fabrics.

"Mother I am serious." I said and her hand finally left my arm. I felt the need to touch the tender blossoming bruise, but I resisted the urge.

"Of course you are." She said, still acting as if it were a ruse. "Now come we must be getting you a gown for the ball."

I groaned, there was no getting through to this woman. No way of expressing my feelings and opinions, I was forever silenced by my mother. Suddenly an idea popped into my head. I would go to the ball. Though my nausea returned at the thought of dancing, I decided to hear my idea out.

I would go to the ball, make an utter fool of myself, in front of the king and queen and my mother will never pressure me about finding a husband or going to a ball. I'll be the fool of Lightwood and then I will never be bothered by society or my mother again.

I smiled secretly at my deviousness and continued to walk down the path with bustling people with my mother.

"Mother." I said taping on her shoulder as she skimmed through the mess of fabrics at the tailor.

"Yes dear?" She asked, barely looking up from the deep blue fabric that was on display. "You know they don't make fabric like they used to. Do you see this? Anyone could see right through it."

My mother rambled on about different fabrics and what she had worn when she was young. Her ramblings almost made me not interrupt

"I have decided to go to the ball." My mother's gaze snapped to mine and I could easily see the shock in her expression.

"Really... are you pulling my leg? Because you know I hate practical jokes." She said, her stern voice caused my throat to dry. I didn't know if this was a prank of a devious plan.

"No mother, I'm not pulling your leg. I've been thinking that maybe... I could go to the ball." I struggled to get the words out, they felt foreign on my tongue and I felt as if I were to be sick.

My mother looked at me, obviously sensing that something was up. I quickly plastered on a fake smile hoping to draw her attention from my obvious lie.

"Finally, my daughter wants to be part of society!" My mother squealed, finally deciding to ignore my lie. I pushed down the sickness and let her pull me into an unnecessary embrace. At least my mother was happy. Though I don't think she will be when my plan gets put into motion.